The amateur wants the best possible pool table break they can earn. The intermediate knows moving the cue ball might help when the shots are running cold, when the balls are not scattering as they should.
But where the beginner or intermediate takes their pool break shot from side to side along the head of the table, parallel to the head rail, the billiards pro leaves their cue ball in place from break to break but adjusts it half an inch or more closer to or further away from the break line before they take another break stroke.
Let me repeat that for clarity--the beginner moves the cue ball left and right while keeping it close to the break rack but the pro moves it back and forth, parallel to the long rails of the table and not the shorter two rails. Why?
The cue ball must leave the cloth and take to the air on the break. It has to go airborne as the cue stick cannot be level at break time. It must have some degree of angle to it from high to low, driving the ball into the air, if somewhat imperceptibly to the untrained eye.
The pro moves the cue ball back and forth, attacking the rack from nearly the same angle, while taking a similar break stroke as before. They are timing the cue ball to land on the felt again before it impacts the rack. In an ideal world, the ball would strike the rack the moment it lands, conserving maximum momentum in the stroke!
If you are a powerful breaker who is not seeing results from your favorite spot, take my tip, use it. Watch as your break improves after just a single break or two! And it's all done with half-an-inch movement that most opponents will never notice...
